Bowing to the pressure put by the massive protest by Kashtriyas groups, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today declared the state government would constitute the Swarn Aayog for reservation of general category along the lines of Madya Pradesh in the coming Budget Session of Vidhan sabha in Himachal Pradesh. The Congress has termed it as a panic reaction on the part of government as the protestors are sitting on their heads.
Speaking to the mediapersons after he came out from the Vidhan Sabha after the massive number of protestors marched in to the premise of Tapovan near Dharamshala , Chief Minister said they would constitute the Swarn Aayog for reservation of the general category on the line of Madhya Pradesh, which is the only state state in India to do so. "The large number of people have come here and demanding this. We found that only MP has constituted the Swarn Aayog", he added and urged the protesters to call off the protest.
Chief Minister later gave a statement in Vidhan Sabha to this effect .
Without wasting not even a minute soon after CM"s announcement, state Governor, who is also in Dharamshala for the Vidhan Sabha opening session, gives his nod and the secretary GAD Devesh Kumar issued notification on constitution of the Samanya Varg Aayog for the reservation of the general category in the state.
Himachal would be second BJP-ruled state after MP whish decided to constitute the Swarn Aayog for reservation of seats for the general category in its bid to lure the higher castes in the coming elections as the higher castes constitute the largest vote bank in the state.
The protestors retreated from the complex and later they melted away after the government issued the notification on Samanya Varg Aayog for reservation for the general category. .
Carrying golden flags and banners, the protesters comprising various groups of kashtriyas had forced their ways in the premises and as result they had scuffle with policemen on duty. The fire tenders and vehicles were also damaged in the melee as they boke the barricades and enter Tapovan, defying police bandobast around the Vidhan Sabha complex.
The police had to deploy more policemen at the protest site to control the agitators and asking them to move back to the barricades.
The government is giving reservations to SC, ST and OBC but no reservation of the Swarns castes, who are economically poor and unemployment among them has surged to new heights, they demanded.
The various higher caste groups had gathered at Dharamshala in support for their demand for implementation of the Swarn reservation policy, reservation for the higher caste in government jobs.
Though there is no exact data on castes based population in Himachal Pradesh as the caste census has not been finalised so far, said the official sources. But the general category constitute the largest population followed by OBCs and SCs in the state, sources said.
Reacting to the announcements by Chief Minister HP Pradesh Congress said the BJP was in panic mode and the government has to do it when the protestors were sitting on their heads, "Where was the government sleeping when they have been demanding this, this shows nothing but panic on its part", said Vijaypal Singh, who heads HP Congress intellectual cell.
CPM veteran leader and Theog MLA Rakesh Singha says:
“Reservation are no solution it is only stop gap arrangement. the issue is to create more jobs. It is a fact there is serious economic crisis, which is creating material conditions for sectarian and divisive slogans. The slogan of the abrogating the Atrocities Act is unacceptable. Reservation for other weaker section is already existing”.
